


The Beast

by BlueEyedArcher



Series: Modern AU Vampyr (EMT Geoffrey) [4]
Category: Vampyr (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Domestic Fluff, EMT Geoffrey, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Kitty Ekon Jonathan, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:08:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29876784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueEyedArcher/pseuds/BlueEyedArcher
Summary: Geoffrey had witnessed many things in his thirty-eight years on this earth, a lot of good and a whole lot of bad combined that led him down this path he found himself standing on. And yet, despite all his past experiences, it left him helpless at the crossroads he stood upon, gawking like a fish out of water at the scene unfolding before him.What started as a Priwen ambush against Ascalon, a secret organization of vampire elitists turned businessmen run by their esteemed CEO and founder, Lord Redgrave, had quickly become a nightmare for the hunter.Normally he would consider that description to be a bit over dramatic but as he watched the shadows form beneath their feet at the beckoning of a cornered and panicked Dr. Jonathan Reid, he found it very fitting.
Relationships: Geoffrey McCullum & Jonathan Reid, Geoffrey McCullum/Jonathan Reid
Series: Modern AU Vampyr (EMT Geoffrey) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984087
Kudos: 19





	The Beast

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of my Kitty Ekon Jonny fics with EMT Geoffrey.

Geoffrey had witnessed many things in his thirty-eight years on this earth, a lot of good and a whole lot of bad combined that led him down this path he found himself standing on. And yet, despite all his past experiences, it left him helpless at the crossroads he stood upon, gawking like a fish out of water at the scene unfolding before him.

What started as a Priwen ambush against Ascalon, a secret organization of vampire elitists turned businessmen run by their esteemed CEO and founder, Lord Redgrave, had quickly become a nightmare for the hunter. 

Normally he would consider that description to be a bit over dramatic but as he watched the shadows form beneath their feet at the beckoning of a cornered and panicked Dr. Jonathan Reid, he found it very fitting. They had found their way into an Ascalon initiation which entailed bullying their chosen initiate into submission even as Jonathan adamantly refused the place among them. Angered and feeling disrespected, the furious ekons (sadly lacking the Lord which Geoffrey so badly wanted to put his head on a spike) descended upon Jonathan with claws and fangs bared. The grassy terrain became a blood bath as they ripped into each other with feral snarls and bitter curses. Priwen stood just beyond their senses, watching from the shadows as Jonathan was forced to kneel with a pair of sharp claws wrapped around his throat.

The conflict split Geoffrey down the middle as he struggled between the instinct to intervene to save his leech, and the knowledge that drawing so many ekons towards them unprepared would surely be their death. He clenched his hand into a fist, grinding his teeth with indecision as the enemy ekon made to deal a final blow to the doctor. Whether it was intended to be fatal was a fact they failed to discover as the shadows burst up around them and blood exploded from Jonathan's fingertips. His eyes turned blood red, claws of shadow grew long and deadly sharp as he let loose a roar that could chill the blood of any living man that heard it.

All it took was a blink and Geoffrey nearly missed it. Jonathan leapt into the air and vanished, moving at a speed that his vision couldn't track, not even as a blur. Blood splattered the earth as if in a delayed reaction as limbs were ripped from the bodies of the offending ekons, their screams disrupted and silenced before they even had a chance to be heard. In a matter of seconds, the eight ekons that stood over the doctor with sneers of disgust and anger scrunching their faces, now laid in pieces littering the earth.

It was a complete and total slaughter. 

Amidst it all stood the weakened and trembling form of the doctor. His clothes stained and in tatters, fangs elongated and splashed in the crimson of their own blood. His shoulders heaved and shook with the effort of his attack, unsteady on his feet as he took a sluggish step forward and raised his blood shot gaze to meet Geoffrey's. The red hue faded quickly as the shadows evaporated and Jonathan stumbled, fear heavy in his expression as he recoiled back. His lips parted to speak but only silence trailed. He took another step back, his foot resting uneven on the slippery landscape causing him to lose his ground and fall. He moved quickly, avoiding a complete wipeout by jerking back in a burst of shadows where he clawed the earth to scramble to his feet then jumped away in a blind panic, vanishing into the night.

"You don't suppose we could hire him to handle our leech problems, do you?" Bonner interrupted the silence with the usual smartass comment.

Geoffrey wasn't necessarily in the mood to humor one of his Captains and instead turned towards his Lieutenants, O'Connor and Bishop who stood by with similar looks of astonishment. The larger of the two, a bear sized Irishman with a thin burn scar over the bridge of his nose met his gaze with a thoughtful tilt of his head. The gesture was a bit awkward given the man was six foot nine and towered over the entire group. Geoffrey was only second amongst them but still considerably shorter than the aforementioned man.

"What do we do now, McCullum?" O'Connor inquired. The clean up was easy enough. Have a second team remove the body parts disguised as city maintenance crews and burn the blood away with ultraviolet lights leaving not a trace behind. But then again, that wasn't what the man was asking about. It was no secret that Jonathan was Geoffrey's charge and currently his roommate. The state of their evolving relationship however had been carefully under wraps as the pair explored their feelings and the strange predicament it put them in.

"I don't know." Geoffrey admitted quietly, turning his attention to anywhere but the looks of his men. There was something painfully terrifying about all of this. It forced him to re-evaluate just what their relationship meant. Jonathan wasn't just a fling from a bar or a workplace romance that could fade and mean nothing in a few months. There was something more there and Geoffrey  _ enjoyed  _ it. He  _ wanted  _ it. And it scared him stiff as he was forced to face the fact that Jonathan was also a beast in sheep's clothing. He was a violent creature capable of slaughtering innocents and potentially consumed by a limitless hunger that would eventually destroy him. It would simply be a matter of time.

Bishop, a Scotsman of sturdy build and only slightly smaller than Geoffrey, regarded the mess with a heavy sigh. "I'll put the lads on the lookout. McKinley and Mackintosh might hear something."

"I want him left alive." Geoffrey barked, a sharpness taken to his tone that he didn't mean. His men paused, giving their leader a second look as Bonner added.

"We won't let a hair be touched on your pet leech, boss." The curly haired younger man maintained that usual nonchalance that made him a level headed and valuable addition to Geoffrey's inner circle even if his jokes often left something to be desired and left Bishop shaking his head and praying for the man's soul and sanity.

"Is there anywhere ya want us to start lookin?" Bishop added. "You know Dr. Reid better than any of us, McCullum."

"He doesn't have anyone left aside from his mother but he wouldn't bring that sort of nasty business to her doorstep." Geoffrey explained, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he thought hard on it. Jonathan was scared, injured and possibly incredibly confused. Geoffrey wondered if the ekon mistook them as being there for him. That was not the intention and the Irishman only wanted his leech to be back, safe and sound. They just needed to talk it out or some shit like that. He wasn't sure how easily this would go when they do talk it over but Dr. Phil doesn't exactly cover how to approach your vampire boyfriend about his dubious blood addictions.

After some discussion, Geoffrey passed along his orders to his men and dismissed them to their searches. It was imperative that they find Jonathan soon. The man was disoriented, wounded and obviously scared. That was a recipe for disaster if there ever was one, especially in a city like this.

With O'Connor monitoring the scene until their clean up crew could deal with the mess and document it, Geoffrey headed back to his motorcycle where it was parked on the outskirts of the park. He stopped in his tracks as he approached the bike as a thought occurred to him. He scanned the parking lot for any sign of Jonathan's car. The man had taken it and was supposed to be finishing up last minute work at the hospital.

Once he was finished, they both would have had the whole weekend free from all responsibility which the Irishman was determined to spend it clearing their DVR with a binge session and a cold beer. That was before the impromptu message from Priwen alerted him to the Ascalon meeting.

Geoffrey spent a good thirty minutes searching the surrounding parking areas for Jonathan's car, then eventually cut his way across the city to the hospital where he found it parked in the back lot. The engine was still cold, showing it hadn't been driven since the ekon started his work earlier in the night. So how did he end up at an Ascalon meeting?

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


His thoughts were racing, flashing by a mile a minute as this nightmare came rushing upon him all over again. Just like that night when he was turned, Jonathan felt as if his sanity were fraying, being ripped apart at the seams faster than he could scramble to rescue it. He stumbled, caught the toe of his shoe on the lip of the concrete curve. He hit the pavement with a cry, a broken sob that cracked from his chest like the anguished snap of bone. It took him a minute to collect himself and get back on his feet, forcing himself with tremendous effort to keep moving. Afraid that if he lingered too long, Priwen will come for him. He had to fight the urge to just lay down and accept defeat, accompanied by that ever present terror of death and the unknown boundaries beyond that which haunted his dreams.

He stumbled along, forcing his feet to move even as his body protested and his heart sank in his chest with the heavy weight of fear like ballasts resting within. The front porch light was off but the soft orange glow of a lamp illuminated the living room window through the drawn curtains. Jonathan was aware that only one occupant resided within the home, the resting beat of a heart could be heard as he mounted the steps slowly. A trembling hand left a bloody print on the doorbell as it chimed noisily beyond the threshold.

The doctor took a few measured breaths that failed to maintain their pace through his sporadic twitching and restless fidgeting. A shuddering breath caught in his throat as he tried to quell the sob that rose there. The bloody tear tracks on his face had dried and been smeared around by an errant shirt sleeve in his haste.

The approaching footsteps from within paused at the entrance before hasty hands fumbled through the locks on the door. It parted slowly, as a pair of exhausted dark eyes peered through the crack to appraise his appearance with shock. 

"Jonny?" Clarence blurted, taking in the blood stained clothes and disheveled rattled appearance of the doctor. He shifted uneasily on the steps, his hands folded in front of him in a nervous twitch as his fingers wove together in a sparse hope to hide how they shook. As if it didn't matter at how the rest of him trembled like a leaf in the wind.

"Clarence I-" His voice fell short as Jonathan searched for the words that failed him. "I need help." He managed, taking a step closer to the frame, he felt the subtle push back of an invisible barrier denying him entry into his friend's home. It was so hard, since he had become this monstrosity, to be continuously reminded that he didn’t belong in this world. Of the restrictions cruelly placed on him, despite his good intentions, he supposed rules had to be set in order to maintain an even playing field between predator and prey. Jonathan would never consider the thought of hurting his best friend or any other human for that matter, but that bitter reminder remained, lingering on the edges of this fragile illusion of life that he had constructed with Geoffrey as if it didn’t pain him each time he took his fill from the butcher or whenever his fangs ached for stimulation or that territorial nature set in and he prowled around their apartment like a restless beast. Not even the flimsy wooden door could separate him for long from Geoffrey when instinct overrode rationality.

"Jonny, what happened?" Clarence held his ground, one hand stayed on the door as if prepared to close it on him at a moment's notice. Jonathan noticed the suspicion in his best friend's gaze, how he stared at him as if he were some sort of monster. He wondered if Clarence had always suspected but never said anything. His friend's fanaticism was anything but subtle and was what fueled the now divorce between him and his former wife, Venus. Though, Jonathan could attest that Clarence was far more wary and observant than many gave the former soldier credit for. His PTSD aside, Clarence was sharper of mind. Jonathan had always suspected Clarence knew or at least had a general feeling and his startlingly calm demeanor now proved that much.

"I-I can explain. Please." Jonathan spoke quickly as he shuffled in place, well aware that the longer he stayed out in the open, the better the chance was that Priwen may find him. He pleaded, desperately now. "Clarence, please trust me. May I come in?"

Time dragged by painfully slow, punctuated by the sluggish beat of his own unnatural pulse. In the distance he heard engines rumbling to life as someone made a late night trip out of the neighborhood. Sirens wailed somewhere else in the city, the cry of help answered in red and blue lights. He wondered if someone had made a call on the incident at the park, or if Geoffrey had scrambled to hide such an atrocity similar to how he helped Jonathan cover up the attack as just a simple mugging gone wrong.

There was a flash of conflict in Clarence's eyes before the door started to close. The ekon’s heart sank, pained by the decision made. He couldn’t fault Clarence for his choice, the man did what he felt was right and Jonathan couldn’t really say he’d have made a different one in his position. Jonathan felt the tears begin to well up and trail over, burning their way down his face as he hung his head in defeat. A few fell to land on the porch as he started to turn away. Where else was he meant to go? He had nobody left to shelter him in this desperate moment.

If he lingered too long, Priwen will find him. There was little he could do to persuade them away from their righteous decision. As far as the ekon was concerned, maybe he did deserve it. A fitting end for a monster. Geoffrey will keep the promise he made the night Jonathan succumbed to the venomous bite of his maker. Those bitten off words were a daily reminder for so long, held like a neon sign above his head wrapped up around the mantra he held so dearly during his studies and later in his career.  _ Do no harm _ . Yes, he had inflicted such fatal blows to ekons when cornered, a moment of weakness and vulnerability on his part as he was outnumbered eight to one, but what if it had been different? If they had instead been humans, would he have been able to control himself? Or would the lure of fresh blood have driven those same instincts into overdrive? Would he have justified violence with more violence?

The thought alone left him sick to his stomach as he stifled the whimper in his throat as he took an unsteady step towards the street.

"Jonny." A soft voice called, beckoning his attention back as Jonathan snapped his head around to find Clarence standing in the open doorway, a bath towel in one hand and another tossed on the floor in the entryway. "Just try not to bleed on the carpet."

Jonathan shuffled towards the doorway, hesitant of whether that was enough to relieve the barrier from the entrance. Feeling the lack of negative force, he crossed the threshold into the warmth of Clarence's home. The towel was lifted in offering which Jonathan accepted and buried his face into. The hard painful sob rattled in his chest as he broke down. He only briefly heard the sound of Clarence locking the door behind him and felt a hand gingerly rest on his shoulder in consolation.

Jonathan crumpled inward, pulling Clarence close as his friend accepted the embrace and returned the hug, with the bunched up fabric placed protectively between Jonathan fangs and his seemingly unprotected shoulder. 

"Shhh, Jonny." Clarence murmured, holding his oldest and dearest friend. Rarely in all their years had Jonathan shown such emotion to his best friend, not even in childhood as he bore through his troubles with a stiff upper lip. Yet now, he was nothing more than the helpless frightened young boy that once hid behind confident facades and quiet smiles, faced with the gnarled grimace of the beast staring back at him.

The towel was effectively ruined, a lost cause beyond any recovery as his tears soaked into the faded fabric. They stood in the entryway for some time until Jonathan had calmed down enough to speak without the interruption of shuddering breaths or that rough ball of emotion that clogged his throat and made every pull of air a painful endeavor.

Once Jonathan could speak, he pulled away to straighten up and searched for his words. His hands fiddled with the half soaked towel as Clarence observed the oddity of the tear stains left behind. He briefly glimpsed his shoulder for any sign of bleed through but Jonathan didn't spot any, thankfully.

"You're gonna need a shower." Clarence stated simply, giving his friend a reassuring smile. Jonathan accepted it, feeling that heavy weight of fear start to lighten if only a tiny bit.

"I would appreciate it." Those words came more easily than the prickly admissions that clogged his throat each time he tried to make them come. "I-" He started but his voice faded fast, pausing to rethink what he was going to say.

"Were they human?" Clarence asked, the words soft and wary as Jonathan shook his head quickly. The sense of horror at the thought was clear on his face, met with the expressive relief on Clarence's.

"No." Jonathan exhaled sharply.

"Good." Clarence breathed. "I don't think you would be able to forgive yourself if they were, Jonny."

It was true. In some small way, those words brought some consolation to the distraught man as he fumbled through what he had to say. Clarence kept one hand resting on his friend's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze as he searched the damaged clothing as if he could read the evidence of the fight. Maybe he could, Jonathan wouldn't be surprised. Clarence prodded the gouges and holes where large bloody wounds had been inflicted and closed sluggishly. A few were still slowly mending themselves.

"You haven't fed." It wasn't a question, but Jonathan gave a small nod in answer as Clarence's shoulders relaxed. Then he did finally ask. "It was self defense, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Jonathan admitted softly. The tight painful feeling in his chest started to fade as the realization clicked. He defended himself, that was a base fact. Ascalon had called him out into the night and forced him into their little initiation unwillingly. He had denied their approach on several occasions but this evening was possibly the most bold as they came into the morgue and 'politely' requested he accompany them to a meeting.

He had refused Lord Redgrave's advances time and again, but tonight's was astonishing due to the sheer lengths at which they were determined to get their way. The ekon was unaware of why exactly they wanted him so badly, but it was not something he wished to partake in whatsoever. The attack was unwarranted and Jonathan had faced the very real fear that he would die in that park. Unprepared and unaware, the thought of Geoffrey never finding his body or discovering what had truly happened was a painful regret. So many words left unsaid. So many feelings left hidden behind polite smiles and timid gestures.

He was petrified and his instincts took over. A beast roared to life inside him and demanded he live. Never had he expected such power to thrum throughout his entire body, pulsing, raging and roaring. Every vein and muscle hummed, every sense heightened as he pulled his assailants apart with claws and fangs until their threats were null. 

He didn't expect to find Geoffrey standing there, watching him with that look of raw shock on his face. Had it not been for the familiar faces of Priwen at his back, Jonathan may have mistaken it for a hallucination. On the cusp of death, he saw the one man that mattered most to him, the man that gave him his reason to live and now this very man was the same that he was forced to flee from.

"Jonny, you bear the weight of the world on your shoulders and never think to ask for help." Clarence sighed heavily. "I am glad you thought to do that now." He gave his friend another squeeze on the shoulder and made a noise as he reached up to pull a stray leaf from Jonathan's hair.

Jonathan offered a small yet weak smile in return that only grew stronger as Clarence added. "How about you take that shower and I'll put on a spot of tea."

"Thank you, Clarence." Jonathan uttered, releasing a shaky breath that stuttered in his chest.

"Your my best mate, Jonny. You know I'll always have your back." Clarence chuckled. "I don't know if I have anything that'll fit you though." Picking at the ekon's clothes, Jonathan supposed that was fair. Clarence was half his size. It would genuinely surprise him if the considerably smaller man had anything in his size that wasn't going to tear at the seams if he so much as breathed.

* * *

There were very few available hiding spots for someone like Jonathan in a city like this. Ostracized by most of his kind, and now probably with a bigger target on his back by Ascalon for the blatant disrespect shown, he was limited to very few safe havens. Geoffrey had a hunch about one, well aware that the ekon's only closest relationship was a friend from his childhood that he served with in the war. This same friend just so happened to live in relatively close proximity to the park, not too far from where the incident happened. 

With the night waning, Geoffrey had only a few hours left to find the ekon before the rising sun burned away what little tracks may still exist. Clarence Crossley was an odd man that Geoffrey had only met twice in the time he had known Jonathan. Coincidentally, one of those times, he had ridden in the back of Geoffrey's ambulance as the EMT worked on the half conscious and hallucinating man, sickened by an unknown ailment and turning blue in the face.

He mumbled utter nonsense throughout the ride while asking for his friend over and over again. Geoffrey didn't quite understand who  _ 'Jonny'  _ was that Clarence kept saying until Jonathan himself showed up in the ER with worry in his eyes. He rushed to his friend's side and held his hand, reluctant to leave the room even as his own colleagues tried to coax him away so they could tend to Mr. Crossley.

Jonathan later informed Geoffrey of their long and extensive history. It was clear to him that should anything happen with the ekon, Clarence would be the one place he would find safest away from the Irishman. Geoffrey tried to not let that truth hurt as much as it did, given recent events Jonathan had a right to feel afraid of him. The mortified look on the man's face was a dagger to his heart, the fear that filled his eyes, a blind panic that made him flee so fast his own thoughts probably weren't even registering where exactly he was going. 

Judging by the blood splatter on the sidewalk and speckling the asphalt as he parked his bike on the curb, were enough to confirm his suspicions. Geoffrey followed it up the sidewalk, noting where more hit the curb than normal. Jonathan had stumbled or stalled in place, noting the muddy print, he'd say it was the former and not the latter. The trail was the bread crumbs leading right up to the front porch of the residence, with more blood splatter in fat drops staining the wood. Geoffrey climbed the steps and reached for the doorbell, pausing when he noticed the crimson fingerprint over the white button and frowned.

He listened for any sounds of voices on the other side of the door. There were lights on in the house which he noticed in his approach. Some upstairs and a few on the ground floor, curtains closed to keep out prying eyes. The briefest flicker of movement alerted him to life within.

Seizing the opportunity, he pressed the doorbell and waited quietly. Despite meeting Clarence twice, neither time was an admission of what either he or Jonathan were. As far as he was aware, the man knew nothing of this other side and he hoped they could keep it that way.

Hearing the latch click, Geoffrey straightened up. The sheer amount of locks on the door as they were drawn was concerning. On the other side was the somewhat paranoid man that Geoffrey had come to know as Clarence Crossley, who met the hunter's gaze with skepticism. He didn't open the door fully, keeping his body pressed between it and the frame to prevent Geoffrey from getting a good look inside.

"Can I help you?" Clarence asked, despite the late hour and the concerning amount of blood on his steps, the man remained cool and collected as if he were greeting a passing salesman. 

Geoffrey relaxed his stance as he spoke. "I'm looking for Jonathan. He didn't come home, thought maybe you'd seen him." There was an opportunity there for Clarence to admit the ekon was hiding inside. Geoffrey was hopeful that he would recognize an olive branch when he saw one.

The man pondered his answer as he shifted in the doorway, a small anxious tick stirring as he retorted. "I've seen him but he just stopped by for a cuppa then took a cab home."

"Did he now?" Geoffrey drawled, narrowing his eyes at the man with his own bout of skepticism. Geoffrey didn't see a single cab passing through the area, though it wouldn't be unheard of if he just managed to miss him by mere minutes. His gut told him otherwise as he sized up Clarence carefully. Jonathan's wallet was still in his car, the keys to the aforementioned SUV were in his office from which he had been forced to leave by Ascalon.

So unless Clarence gave him a fresh change of clothes and money to head home, he wasn't buying such a sham.

"Yeah." Clarence confirmed with a bob. Maybe, a lesser man would have believed this lie. A lesser man who was also blind, as Geoffrey peeked past Clarence, he saw the quietly creeping shadow of the ekon in the background. He may have lingered just around the corner where Geoffrey couldn't see his face, but the lamp in the living room threw his shadow across the wall.

"Listen, I know Jonathan is in there. I just want to make sure he's safe, aye? I know ya have his best interest at heart 'n I appreciate a man willing to throw himself on the line fer his best mate but understand I want the same thing you do." Geoffrey started to explain, shifting his weight from one side to the other as he tried to get a better look inside. He was aware that Jonathan could hear him, his sharpened ekon senses could hear a fucking fly fart from three rooms over. As inconvenient as that often was sharing an apartment with another man, Geoffrey was plagued with the knowledge that pleasuring himself was left to a daytime activity if he wanted to get away with stroking one out without his pet leech catching a peep of it.

Clarence straightened up, defiant against Geoffrey's attempt at coaxing him into surrender. The man opened his mouth to speak, but the subtle creak of floorboards at his back stalled him. Accompanied by a softly spoken voice, pleading to him.

"Clarence, it's okay." Jonathan called. Geoffrey couldn't see the ekon from where he stood, but the softened expression of his friend and the flash of concern would be much more endearing were it not directed at keeping him at bay.

"But, Jonny-"

"He means what he says." Jonathan assured him. "Trust me."

There was a moment of silence before Clarence slowly retracted, opening the door for Geoffrey to enter the home. To his surprise, Jonathan stood half dressed in a pair of bright red jogging shorts that, in all honesty, Geoffrey didn't mind the view of. The doctor had thighs that could kill a man and the Irishman could appreciate that fact indefinitely. He assumed the lack of clothing was entirely due to what little Clarence owned that may fit the ekon.

Searching Jonathan for any signs of distress, he found the man rosy cheeked, with hair still damp and the faintest scent of soap when he got closer. Thankfully, his wounds had healed. Geoffrey breathed a sigh of relief as he turned, expectantly towards Clarence as if waiting for the man to excuse himself to another room.

"He knows." Jonathan admitted, as if reading the look on the hunter's face already.

"Everything?"

Jonathan shook his head at the hunter's question. "Just some of it."

"I see." Geoffrey wasn't sure if that made things a lot easier or harder in the long run. Sighing in defeat, he shrugged the thought off and offered a relieved smile at the ekon. "I'm glad yer alright."

Jonathan withheld his greeting as he offered a tight smile. Turning to Clarence, he inquired. "May we have a moment alone?"

Clarence nodded. "Sure Jonny. Ya need anything, let me know. I'll just be right upstairs."

Waiting for their privacy to be secured, Jonathan gestured for Geoffrey to join him in the living room. The ekon took a seat on the couch as Geoffrey settled into the worn dark brown recliner. He leaned forward, folding his hands in front of himself as he posted his elbows against his knees. His attention fixed completely on the doctor as he searched for the words that betrayed him. His brows pinched together in concentration as Geoffrey waited, patient and attentive to his charge. 

"Tonight, I had no intention of such an event happening." Jonathan started, his voice wavered only slightly as he worked the words around in his mouth. His gaze lowered to stare at the newspapers sprawled haphazardly across the coffee table.

"I know Jon." Geoffrey assured him with a small exhale. "The lads informed me that Ascalon was making a move. If I had known it was goin after you, I would've warned ya."

Jonathan parted his lips to speak but seemed to think better of it. Falling to silence once more, Geoffrey took the lead. "What happened tonight couldn't have been avoided but ya did what you needed to, to survive. No shame in that." Geoffrey wanted to reach out to him and console him but thought better of it, worried the attention may be unwanted. He curled his fingers into fists and continued, watching the ekon with a keen eye as he searched for any weakness in the neutral walls Jonathan had put up around himself. He looked so tired and burned out which Geoffrey couldn't blame him for. He'd probably feel the same had he endured a similar scare.

"You've made progress, Jonathan." Geoffrey urged. "You've managed as you are and put so much into staying your hand. Even when the temptation and yer instincts are so much louder."

Jonathan nodded, a small tip of his head in agreement. He pursued his lips and sucked in a shaky breath. It rattled in his chest as he exhaled. "Thank you Geoffrey." 

Seizing the moment, Geoffrey pushed on. "Seeing what happened tonight, I was worried." There was a pause as Jonathan finally met his gaze. "Not because of what a wounded ekon could do to the populace of the city. But because I was afraid of losing you." 

It was the truth. The thought often terrified Geoffrey and left him silenced by indecision as he stared down the crossroads of his duty to Priwen and his love for Jonathan. If they ever crossed paths, if they ever conflicted, he feared the choices he would be forced to make should the time ever come. He didn't want to lose this man. This sweet and attentive man that put everyone else first. This man, who lived his oath indefinitely and remembered the little things that mattered, who could read Geoffrey like the back of his hand and leave his heart fluttering sporadically in his chest. Jonathan was everything that made Geoffrey feel alive and as if he were worthy of such love without the fear of being rejected or bullied into a corner.

"I'm not very good at this sappy shite like you are, but just know I love ya Jonathan Emmet Reid, and I won't let nothing stand between that if I can help it." Geoffrey blurted.

There was silence that followed, shocked and speechless, Jonathan stared at him as he stumbled for a response. Geoffrey's lips quirked up at that as he amused himself. "Geoffrey- I…" He seemed to think harder on it before starting again. "You are very important to me as well, as more than just a friend and I…..I want to be more than that with you. If you'll let me."

Geoffrey almost rolled his eyes at the longer answer,  _ always so dramatic Reid _ he thought. His smile grew as he nodded. "Aye. I'd like that very much."

Geoffrey rose from his seat to join Jonathan on the couch. The ekon tensed, a nervous response before relaxing against the Irishman as they settled down side by side. There was a hesitant movement before Jonathan rested his weary head against Geoffrey's shoulder. The hunter snaked his arm around Jonathan's back and pulled him into a half embrace, encouraging the physical contact that they both silently yearned for in the comfortable moments of their apartment. His fingers carded through Jonathan's hair, smoothing down the wayward damp locks that were disheveled by the shower. The subtle rumble that started in Jonathan's chest was both surprising and reassuring for the hunter.

"I should probably let the lads know yer safe." Geoffrey murmured into the ekon's hair, earning a tired grunt in response.

"You sent out a search party?" Jonathan lifted his head so he could meet Geoffrey's gaze.

"Aye, was worried more of Ascalon was hanging around. Didn't want to risk it if they found you and you couldn't fight back." Geoffrey assured him. 

"Thoughtful." Jonathan rumbled. 

"Aye. I'm probably gonna need O'Connor to come pick ya up anyway. Rode my bike here." Geoffrey inspected the ekon with a twitch of a smile. "As much as I'd enjoy the view, I doubt the cops will." Were he more topped off on blood, Geoffrey was certain the ekon would be blushing right now at the reminder. Half naked with only the red jogging shorts to offer modesty, Jonathan was a buffet for the eyes and the hunter could appreciate the well sculpted man beneath the uniform.

"That is a fair point." Jonathan answered, though delayed as he stared at the hunter with bashful amusement.

"Aye." Geoffrey agreed, leaning in to press a kiss to Jonathan's brow. "The sun is a few hours away and there's plenty of food at home. You look like ya could use a bite and a bit o'rest."

"You do drive a hard bargain, hunter." Jonathan purred, stealing a chaste kiss from the Irishman as he was drawn further into his embrace. Geoffrey grappled his arms around Jonathan, smiling against his lips as they deepened the kiss.

"Ehem." There was a pointed cough from the stairwell, causing both men to jolt, nearly falling off the couch in their haste to find Clarence standing there with arms crossed, a stern look shot towards Geoffrey's direction.

"Everything alright, Jonny?" Jonathan let out a nervous laugh at his friend's inquiry and nodded. 

"Yes, I believe it is quite alright." He assured. "I think I'll be heading home soon as soon as Geoffrey hails us a ride." Jonathan unfurled from the hunter's embrace despite Geoffrey's reluctance to let him go, and rose to greet his friend. The hunter watched as they talked in low voices, Jonathan reassuring the man that he was safe meanwhile Clarence stared at him, hesitant to believe it. Geoffrey tried not to let that detail sting, knowing Clarence had Jonathan's best interest at heart. Taking the opportunity to make a phone call to O'Connor, Geoffrey anticipated extending his eagerly awaited vacation just a little longer. For Jonathan's sake. 


End file.
